hello, everyone, i'm ashleigh banfield. let's start here, she's a potential nominee for a post that isn't even open yet. if susan rice were to get the nod from president obama to replar replace hillary clinton as secretary of state she would want to be on good terms with congress. that's why the current u.s. ambassador to the united nations embarked on a delicate bit of diplomacy this morning with three of her toughest credit activities capitol hill. ms. rice met with republican senators john mccain, lindsay graham, and kelly ayott, all had vowed to block her nomination after what she said about the deadly attack on americans on n

benghazi, libya. here's what graham said moments ago when the meeting came to a close. >> if you don't know what happened, just say you don't know what happened. people can push you to give explanations and you can say i don't want to give bad information. here's what i can tell you -- the american people got bad information on 16, september. they got bad information from president obama days after. and the question is should they have been giving the information at all. if you can do nothing but give bad information, isn't it better to give no information at all? >> ah. let's go straight to cnn's dana bash. so before we heard that pretty explosive news conference, it seemed as though there was a bit of a softening of some of the gop's opposition to ms. rice's moving up in the president's cabinet. now after hearing that, i need to get some clarity if i can from you about whether the criticism is about ms. rice and

what she delivered to the american people, which turned out to be wrong, or whether it is about the intelligence community and what they delivered to ms. rice. can you give us a feel. >> reporter: i think the answer to that question is both. the criticism is of both. but the focus this morning was on susan rice and is on susan rice because she is potentially the president's nominee to be the next secretary of state. and what republicans, you heard from lindsay graham, john mccain, and kelly ayotte, all three, her three biggest critics, said that not only did she not answer questions and -- to assuage their concerns, there are more -- they are more troubled than before. the question is why. i walked back from that stakeout to here with kelly ayotte, one of the three. she said a few things. she said, first of all, she does not feel that in her position as u.n. ambassador, u.s. ambassador to the u.n., going out on five sunday shows she asked the proper questions she needed to

ask to make sure she was not misleading the american people about what happened in benghazi. she said that that how she feels coming out of the hour-long meeting she had, behind closed doors with susan rice. the second thing she's concerned about, she meaning senator ayotte, is that when susan rice was on these shows, she was very careful to read from the talking points that were unclassified, talking about extremist elements. she also went a step further in some interviews saying that the obama administration has decimated al qaeda. what senator ayotte and other senators have said is that was misleading because she knew in a classified way that al qaeda might have been behind it. so that is what one -- two of the reasons why at least senator ayotte said that she is troubled. and she said that she is still not ready to say that she will vote for her. not only that, but she's still -- she still has a threat to block her nomination if susan

rice is nominated. >> and is that the end of it, or are there future meetings? is there going to be more consultation, or is that that? >> reporter: no, that is not that. that is the beginning of this for sure. we understand that the ambassador is likely to be back later today for more meetings. ted barrett heard from the republican from tennessee that he has a meeting with susan rice tomorrow. again, just like today's meeting. that was at the request of susan rice. she is definitely making the rounds. she's trying to explain herself. but at least with these three republican senators this morning who were -- who have been her harshest critics, you know, as senator ayotte said, she is more troubled than before. this is just the beginning. >> interesting developments, though. dana bash on capitol hill. thank you for that. let me move over to the white house today. even though it is connected, there's another big issue. that fiscal cliff. and the president is certainly in fact-finding mode it seems. we've got 35 days to go before

the new year. and that new year will bring with it more than $500 billion in tax cuts and spending cuts. mr. obama is in meetings with small business owners from across the country today. he is not, however, meeting with leaders of congress today. our dan lothian is watching the comings and goings at the white house. and at some point, dan, congress is going to have to either come together on this and work with the president on this, and yet we're seeing all these various different meetings all around the communities and the country. it looks like there's a particular strategy that's playing out when it comes to the president right now. >> reporter: that's right. a lot of negotiations have taken place in the staff -- on the staff level. the president himself did speak with speaker john boehner on the phone over the weekend. there was that meeting with the lawmakers, the leadership just before the president went overseas on his southeast asia trip. but so far, no additional

meetings that we know of on the schedule for the president to sit down with congressional leadership to try to hammer this out. i can tell you that i spoke with an administration official who told me that treasury secretary timothy geithner will be playing a leading role in these live in negotiation negotiations -- fiscal cliff negotiations. gene spellering, an adviser and rob neighbors. again, it will be timothy geithner taking the leading role. we expect behind the scenes the president himself is actively involved. we don't know of any additional meetings that will be taking place. yes, you know, you do hear from some republicans who are saying you know, where is the leadership from the president. they want to see the president more actively involved. the president will be hitting the road this friday to make his case for these middle-class tax cuts being extended for middle-class americans. for wealthy americans that pay more, sort of pushing his case. and as you pointed out, the president meeting with business

leaders here at the white house tod today. harsh criticism coming from capitol hill, from senate leadership, republicans who say the president should be spending time negotiating with them, not campaigning on the road. listen to what mcconnell had to say today. >> it was with some concern that i read this morning that the president plans to hit the road next week to drum up support for his only personal approach to the short and long-term fiscal challenges we face. in other words, rather than sitting down with lawmakers of both parties and working out an agreement, he's back on the campaign trail, presumably with the same old talking points that we're all familiar with. look, we already know that the president's a very good campaigner. we congratulate him on his re-election. what we don't know is whether he has the leadership qualities necessary to lead his party to a bipartisan agreement on big issues like we currently face. >> reporter: what you're seeing here is a slightly different strategy than we've seen in the

past. that's the president focusing more on stakeholders, making his case to the public. bringing business leaders here to the white house, going on the road. and spending less time with lawmakers at least up to this point. >> sounds like a pressure tactic rather than perhaps a negotiation tactic. we'll keep on it, and let us know who else goes through those doors. dan lothian, thank you very much. you know, as we watch this story playing out, each side wants the other to give in. or at least give a little more in the fiscal tug-of-war. in a little less than a couple of minutes now, we'll see what the republicans want from the democrats. and what they might offer to get what they want. n't just listen . listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. with snapshot, i knew what i could save before i switched to progressive. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. you're not filming this, are you? aw! camera shy.

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it's funny to watch a senator or congressman who got himself elected by promising the citizens of his state that he would go to washington to reform government, not raise taxes to pay paper over problems deciding that when they haven't done that and the going gets rough that they have an argument with me. >> so that is grover norquist if you don't already know. you probably should because he is making a lot of tv appearances. that was piers morgan tonight --

last night. his group, american for tax reform is behind that no-tax pledge that's signed by the majority of republicans in congress. but now a few high-profile members of the gop are openingly questioning their pledge and saying it may stand in the way of getting a fiscal cliff deal done. that's one side of the equation. in exchange, those republicans say, look, we'll back down. but not if we don't get something for it. we want some entitlement reform. here are the big three entitlements -- social security, medicaid, and medicare, combined they make up 43% of federal spending last year. joining me is john avalon, cnn contributor, senior political columnist for "newsweek" and "the daily beast. "and all around very smart person. you have a column out about this. it's great reading. a lot of math in it. tons of math. >> i was told there would be no math, but there's math. >> a chevy chase line that bears repeating. math means two sides of the

equation. >> math is not partisan. >> math is not partisan. there's coverage about republicans and what they're willing to do to give up their pledge to raise revenue. and there's not seemingly as much talk about what the democrats need to do. how much do democrats need to give up in the spending column and what do they need to give up in the spending column. >> that's right. that's why we need to look at the picture. most of the debate has been on republicans. being willing to give on tax revenues and rebuking grover norquist in the process. that's only part of the equation. lindsay graham, one of the republican senators who put distance between himself and gloefr's brid -- and grover's l said, i'm willing to give a little but only if entitlement's on the table. we need to get a deal done and define the common ground. what's interesting, the failed committees, bowles-simpson, obama -- >> the gang of six. >> the gang of six. we have specifics. we have a basis for common ground. it's time to hold their feet to the fire on specifics. both sides have to give.

>> it feels like mideast peace we're trying to achieve. >> almost as complicated. >> how similar are those three plans? can there be a marriage of the three? where do we stand in terms of figuring out of those plans works, what doesn't, or do we have to come up with a whole fourth agenda -- >> no. that's the good news. despite the failures of the debates to date, we have a roadmap. there'll is a lot of overlap. one of the interesting things, out of the obama/boehner grand plan that failed, we had leaked documents that were given to bob woodward that showed the obama administration was willing to give a lot on entitlement reform, significant amounts. and issues like gradually raising the eligibility age for medicare which could save a quarter of a billion dollars over ten years. >> some people say that's chump change, a quarter of a billion dollars over ten years. >> the joke in washington, a billion here, billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money -- >> quarter of a trillion. >> yeah. quarter of a trillion dollars. >> they still say chump change.

like death by 1,000 paper cuts -- >> at this point it's not perfect if you can't make enemy of the good, no one's paying attention. >> you are so good. you should be a writer. >> i thought about that, but i decided tv instead. >> everybody talks about the defense warnings the president came up with are colossal. is that not enough to assuage republicans? are they really focusing on the entitlement? the three, big three entitlement reforms? >> everybody knows if they're honest you need three things to get a deal done. you need spending cuts. you need tax revenue increases. and you need entitlement reform. and so this is where -- whether it's bowles-simpson, except for the professional activists -- >> do you call them wing nuts, or are they beyond wing nuts? >> wing nuts is a specialized term for a kind of crazy. these are more hard-core activists and ideologues. they're the problem in t washington.

>> people say this will come down to two people -- obama and boehner and whether they can get their ducklings to follow them. >> herding the cats question. boehner's hand is strengthened after this election. republicans need to understand that that ideological obstructionism was rejected by the electorate. president obama is a stronger position in to see get the deal done. may look a lot like what was almost done two years ago. the difference is we've got to get it done now. >> like the election. we went through all that trouble and money and have the same things still, right? >> a big difference. i think the folks realize they got to get something done now. >> it's great reading. >> thank you. >> i recommend people do that. come back. >> any time. >> love to see you. best of the season to you. >> you, too. >> thanks. and remember we're at 35 days, folks. that's all that's left until you pop the cork for new year's. then you deal with your bank account later. if we don't get a deal done, automatic spending cuts go into effect. and tax cuts expire. that means you and me, you can keep one the news and analysis on the fiscal cliff by clicking on cnn.com. with scottrader streaming quotes,

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do you remember florida on election day? that was hot. yeah, thosecredibly long lines -- those incredibly long lines

of people waiting in the heat for hours on end trying to do the constitutional thing and exercise their right to vote. and the big, long ballots, sometimes ten pages or longer. i remember them well. i stood out there for 13 hours. get what, there are critics who say what i looked at and the hassles those people went through were all a big republican plan to suppress the democratic turnout. now i was in a heavily dominated republican district. but i'll tell you what -- it's been the claim of at least several former republican officials that were interviewed by the "palm beach post. "among those, that person, the former governor, republican government charlie crist who left the party and turned independent. and jim greer, former chairman. republican party of florida. we should give you full disclosure here. mr. greer is under indictment currently, accused of stealing $200,000 from the republican party through a bogus campaign fundraising operation. he denies that allegation, and he in turn is suing the party for $5 million saying that the

leader knew what he was doing and that it was a strategic effort to actually get paid. they voiced no objection to it. those are the claims and counter-claims, and mr. greer is kind enough to join me live now. so the first question, mr. greer, is this -- are you making these claims to the "palm beach post" which are serious, suggesting that this is all about voter suppression, what i saw when i was in florida, those long, long lines and the dmflt voti difficulty in voting and difficulty in voting early, are you saying this because you're accused of stealing money from the state republican party? >> no. i've always had a difference of opinion about how the republican party should win elections. when i was chairman, ashleigh, i created an african-american advisory council, hispanic advisory council, appointed the first black department head within the republican party. after i left, they abolished all that, they got rid of those people within the party. i've always had a difference in how we should win elections. and after i was forced out by the extreme right and the wing

nuts of the party, i felt it was important for voters and citizens to find out what really goes on behind the curtain of the republican party. >> then my -- i'm very curious because in this very lengthy interview that but with the "post," you named people specifically, andy palmer, brett paider, jim rimes, kurt pepper, rich heavily, frank terrafirma, and you said they were in meetings specifically talking about how the voter turnout efforts on the democratic parity are going to kill the republicans' efforts on winning florida. let me quote quickly, i think you said something about -- i'm going to quote your words, "in the races i was involved in in 2008, when we started seeing the increase of turnout and the turnout operations that the democrats were doing in early voting, it certainly sent a chill down our spines." if those people that you mentioned were talking about strategies on stopping people from voting, why didn't you fire them all? >> that's a very good question.

when you're chairman of the party and particularly at that time, there were things that i wouldn't allow to happen at the party. i did not, ashleigh, and neither did governor crist allow any elections bills to move forward that would have restricted voting, that would have suppressed the minority vote. if you will notice after governor crist was forced out of the party, after i was forced out as chairman, they all got together, and in 2010 is when they passed those election laws. so as chairman, i did not agree with, nor did i permit the party consultants to form that legislation, get that legislation through, but when we were gone, when i was gone, they certainly did it in the immediate session right after i was removed as chairman or resigned as chairman. >> but why didn't you say something then? i mean, even at the time that you heard these things being bandied about? i'm a new american, i've been through two elections now. i stood in a long line to vote in 2008. and i made a huge effort because i had to work the election to vote early through an absentee

ballot in connecticut. i am -- i just find it despicable to hear conversations about making sure that some people don't get the chance to vote because you don't like how they vote. how could you have stayed quiet? >> well -- i didn't stay quiet when i was chairman. i didn't permit it to happen. i didn't authorize it, i directed it not to move forward. when those consultants and some legislative leaders approached me about putting forth election changes to the law so that would benefit the republican party, i didn't agree to it. they asked me to talk to governor crist. i told them at that time i knew the governor would support me on the position and would veto anything that changed vogue laws to keep people from voting. at that time, i didn't permit. it i stopped it. i didn't authorize. i wouldn't allow any funding for it. they wanted funding to be paid out of the party to do certain things. >> you didn't move ahead because

you saw the supermajorities in florida they got this bill through congress -- through their legislature. and h.b. 1355 is what many people say led to the calamity that we witnessed on election day. so -- >> that's right. >> you could have said stuff earlier before the election, you could have gone to the press. i mean, maybe you lost your power to do something about it, but you didn't lose your voice. >> well, if you'll notice in january is when i resigned as chairman, when the party was taken over by the extreme right. i resigned in january. the legislative session started in march. and that's when they put the elections bill that they wanted through, in march of that year. i started talking about these issues shortly after that. sunday wasn't the first time. it's the first time what i have said has been confirmed by other people, people that had the courage to finally come out and say what jim greer has been saying all along is, in fact, the truth. but when i was chairman, i didn't permit it.

when i was forced out in january by the people who want to win elections by not playing by the rules, they want to change the rules, they took over the party. and shortly thereafter i started talking about this. this passed week was not the first time i brought these issues up. but ashleigh, when i was chairman, i done permit it. i did not authorize it. i tried to make the republican party a different type of party. a party that was inclusive. a party that would talk about what it stands for, not trying to keep people from voting. but when i was forced out -- >> do you think rick scott, the current governor of florida, is in collusion with these consultants and planners in their strategy to try to curb the democratic vote? do you think the current republican governor of florida knew all about this and was in on it all the way along? >> well, let me say this -- the consultants, the political sc consultants, they're the ones that run the party if you don't have a strong chairman. i was a strong chairman. they didn't like that. i had the support of governor

crist -- >> i want to know about this current governor. what do you know and what do you think about governor scott? >> yeah, governor scott -- yeah, governor scott and the current and past legislative leadership, they believe in winning at all costs. they believe that we have to -- >> governor crist -- governor crist to his point when he was governor, he said, this was talked about in 2008. he didn't like the talk, and he said, i'll veto anything that comes my way if the legislature passes stuff like that. that curtails the ability for people to vote. do you think that the current republican governor, rick scott, didn't have the same opinion and said i will not veto anything like that, in fact, i think it's a good idea? i need to know whether you think he did this or not. >> yeah. ashleigh, absolutely. governor scott agrees with and believes in what the republican party political strategists, what the legislative leaders have done with the elections law -- >> was he in on any of the meetings? >> no. he wasn't. we didn't reeally know governor

scott at that time. he wasn't on our radar screen. >> aim glad to talk to you. i'm very, very disappointed that this conversation would go on without one screaming from a mountaintop, stop, it's bad and un-american. thank you, i do appreciate you, mr. greer, for coming on and talking. >> thank you. i do have to say that we certainly reached out again and we've been doing this for many days to governor scott's office on this story. he certainly had a chance to read this. it's a florida newspaper, his state. and so in deference here, governor scott's office sent us this, very kind. a statement here to cnn. it says this, "governor scott is focused on how florida can run fair elections where all eligible voters can participate. and he has said we must restore the people's confidence in our electoral process. he is encouraging florida legislators to have a bipartisan, open, and vigorous discussion about what changes may need to be made to current florida election law in the

upcoming session. he is open to legislative changes." and that comes to us by way of melissa sellers. kind communications director in governor scott's office. still, no specifics about those very serious accusations made by not just mr. greer but also the former governor, rick scott, and another consultant -- excuse me, charlie crist, and another that remains anonymous for what that's worth. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso. i just finished a bowl of your new light chicken pot pie soup and it's so rich and creamy... is it really 100 calories? let me put you on webcan... ...lean roasted chicken... and a creamy broth mmm i can still see you. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone

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to mexico now where a courage us on murder against a drug trafficking sect has come to a torturous end. 36-year-old maria santos gorostia -- i think i pronounced that wrong. borostita was said to be a true heroine after becoming mayor of a small town after standing up

to death threats. twice she was injured and disfigured and her husband was killed. on the third attempt, the aassassins won. this time they left nothing to chance either. she was pulled from her minivan while driving her daughter to school. she was tortured, stabbed, beaten to death. her body was left in a ditch. she reportedly had begged her killers to spare her child's life. cnn's senior latin affairs reporter rafael romo joins us. why on earth did they come after her as she stepped down last year? >> reporter: there are two possibilities. one is that she switched political parties. had officials are saying that her political affiliation didn't have anything to do with -- the other possibility and this is a report that appeared in the mexican newspaper is that her husband, who was shot and killed in the first attack against her back in october of 2009, might have been at one point in his life involved in drug

trafficking. so that's the two lines of investigation that authorities in mexico are looking at at this point. >> and what about the daughter who was still in the vehicle as her mother was driving her to school? is she okay? >> reporter: she is -- she is doing okay. that was just an incredible thing that happened. she was taking her daughter to school one morning. it was about 8:30 in the morning, rush hour. and right there in the middle of a busy street, this group of armed men stopped the car and attacked her. and she -- she was dragged away by this group and her daughter witnessed the whole thing, witnesses say she was crying hysterically. she was not touched, luckily. >> and what about this report now, the bbc saying that two dozen mayors now have been killed in mexico because they are targeted for taking that authoritative position? is this something that they're getting a handle on? is this running amok? is there any chance for someone who wants to actually try to tackle this problem in mexico?

>> reporter: it is a mixed picture. if you look at the northern states, those states that are right at the border with the united states where most of the violence has happened in the last few years, the government saturated those areas with the mexican military and the federal police. so violence at those states is coming down. however, in states like where this happened to the mayor, it has been the center of a violent turf war between two drug cartels, and that may be a reason why this happened to the mayor. >> just a very sad and violent story. rafael romo, thank you. >> reporter: thank you. >> if you want to read more about this and certainly there is a lot more to it, check out our cnn.com stories on this page.

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losing a job may not only be bad for your finances. it could actually be pretty bad for your health it turns out. there's a new study that says

losing a job increases your risk of a heart attack. senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen is here. this is such an astounding study. i think a lot of people have looked into how, you know, being noed affects your mental health. -- noed affects your mental health and physical health. view from looked at prolonged unemployment or the continuous efforts at getting a job and being rejected and how that affects your health. >> reporter: exactly. few people have looked at repeated layoffs, getting laid off again and again and again, and what that does to you. and these researchers did a good job of trying to single that out to see what it does. and what they found is that getting laid off, especially over and over again, is as big a risk factor for heart disease as smoking. as bad for you as smoking. look at these numbers. these are compared to people who never got laid off. if you get laid off once, you've got a 22% higher chance of having a heart attack compared to someone who's never been laid off. three times, 52% higher.

four or more times, 63% higher. and it wasn't just the stress of not having a job, it was also just the stress of really kind of the trauma of being told over and over again that you've lost your job. >> so is it a -- is there a connection to depression? is there something about -- could anti-anxiety medications defuse these risks? >> reporter: there is a link to depression in several ways, especially this one. when people lose their job they're likely to become depressed. when people become depressed they're likely to stop taking medications they're supposed to take for health problems. that's an issue. another issue is that there's just stress at not knowing where your next paycheck is going to come from, not having a paycheck at all. you know, have you ever been almost in a car accident, like you're sort of narrow -- you narrowly avoid a car accident? you can feel the adrenaline. you can feel the adrenaline in your system. imagine having adrenaline in your system all the time. it's terrible, and it can narrow

your arteries, raise your cholesterol, terrible for your heart. >> sometimes you wary that going to work is awfully stressful as well. they suggest not going i even more stressful than going to a stressful job? >> reporter: yes, it seems that way. better off -- at least you get a paycheck, right? >> right. there is that. elizabeth, fascinating stuff. thank you. >> reporter: thanks. as always, we like to say for more information, elizabeth's got great reporting, a whole book about being an empowered patient. check out her work at cnn.com/empoweredpatient. hey, look! a shooting star!

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in fact, it's even been banned in california. and now there are claims that it is entirely a scam. >> in another exercise, a man had to break through a human barricade that i was a part of in order to seize two oranges that were meant to symbolize his testicles. he was then frenetically instructed to squeeze the juice and drink from them and put the oranges in his pants in order to represent gaining his testicles. the symbolic absence of them supposedly being a cause of his homosexuality. in retrospect, these practices fall on a range between absurd to disturbing. >> that was one of the plaintiffs in this case. and joining me now is cnn's alan duke, who's written extensively on this. who's involved in this lawsuit? and what are the claims that are being made? >> michael ferguson, who you saw, was 19 when he underwent this reparative therapy or

conversion therapy at jona, a new jersey-based organization, that offers this. and there were three others. two were 17 when they started. their parents joined or at least their moms joined this lawsuit, wanting their money back and wanting damages for the damage that they say psychologically, mental damage they say that happened here. they say that this therapy caused them depression, an excite, self-destructive behavior that has taken years, it's been four years since any -- since these plaintiffs have been involved in this. and now they say generally they're doing fine, but it's cost them a lot of money. one guy lost a year of work and wants that money back. >> so as i understand it, this lawsuit is suggesting that this is fraud, this entire therapy is fraudulent and intentional, i assume, if they're calling it fraud. what -- what's the defense here? are there witnesses they can bring forward to say we went through this therapy and it worked for us? >> well, the center that is being sued and counselors on,

their web site they have testimonials from some people who say that it did help me. so there will be a debate about this. this is something that the american psychiatric association has discredited, and it's -- as you say, it's been outlawed in california at least for those under 18 as of january 1. so of course the people who deliver the services say it's a first amendment thing. a freedom of speech thing. we've should be able to offer this therapy. but interestingly, in new jersey they have a very -- a very strong consumer fraud act. and that's what they're suing under, the strategy is unusual here in that they're saying this was fraud. you said you could cure me, you didn't. in fact, you hurt me. that's the legal strategy. they hope to duplicate it in other states. the southern poverty law center has identified at least 70 such providers around the country. and i think they're going after some of the others next. >> we'll have to watch this. it's fascinating to see what the cases -- what the arguments are in court. alan duke, thank you very much. nice to see you. by the way, should mention here that the american medical

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we had a record black friday, cybermonday's turned out to be strong. just remember, though, in a few weeks bills come for that friday and that monday. seems like every time you open the mail, there's a new one. alison kosik is joining us to somehow inform us of how we can get bills to stop ruining the holiday, short of perhaps getting a pot of water, putting

your credit cards in that pot of water and putting it in the freezer. >> you don't have to do that. the good news, bills arrive after the holidays come. the glass half of-full. you could go into shock looking at bills especially because of a shaky economy and tough job market are making americans to feel less financially secure. 32% say paying current or past due bills is the top financial priority according to a new survey from bankrate.com. the stagnant household incomes that we have along with the rising cost of food, health care energy are to blame. if the situation sounds familiar, a few tips. keep track how you spend. knowing where every dollar goes can help you create a realistic budget. identify areas to reduce spending. comparison shop. that could mean buying store brand groceries or choosing a cheaper wireless service. if you want to see a difference, deposit a portion of your paycheck into a savings account.

that way the next time unexpected event pops up you'll have a fund to dip into. the faster you get under control, the sooner you save for the future. it's all about organizing and budgeting. >> also if you can't decide between the red one and the blue one don't buy both, maybe. >> right. i'm guilty of that. i hear you. >> allison. thanks so much. to learn more how to get ahead of monthly bill,s great ahead of monthly bill,s great yer? this isn't just a headache. trust me, this is new bayer migraine. [ male announcer ] it's the power of aspirin plus more in a triple action formula to relieve your tough migraines. new bayer migraine formula. a new way to save on your prescriptions. it's the aarp medicarerx saver plus plan from unitedhealthcare. with this plan, you can get copays as low as a dollar through a preferred network pharmacy like walgreens -- where you'll find 8,000 convenient locations.

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medicare open enrollment. time to compare plans and costs. you don't have to make changes. but it never hurts to see if you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ open enrollment ends december 7th. so now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare. it is not every day you hear the star of a megahit tv show saying, don't watch my show. seriously. that can be tantamount to entertainment suicide. but it is certainly not stopping one of the very important stars on the show "2 1/2 men" from spouting off and risking it all. listen.

>> if you watch "two and a half men" please stop watching. i'm on "two and a half men" and i don't want to be on it. please stop watching. please stop filling your head with filth. >> please stop filling your head with filth. ouch! that's angus t. jones known as jake on the show. maybe she's follows in the twisted career path of charlie sheen who was dumped. jones went tonight say the show's part of the enemy's plan, end quote and, quote, you can't be a god-fearing christian and be on a show like that, end quote. he's under contract for the next year. he makes over $300,000 per episode. so is he heading into legal trouble? is calling the show filth a deal breaker? a fireable offense? can he be forced to perform on a show they apparently despises? is there anything wrong with biting the hand that feeds you?

good question for a man named joey jackson who knows the law like anyone else what did you say about cnn? what did you say about your employer? >> i love working here. the best! we all watch the charlie sheen nuttiness play out. this is a specific and sober, it would seem, young man, specifically disparaging the program he's on and beg his viewers not to watch. >> sure. >> fireable offense, contract he must -- how is this going to pay out? >> he's a young man growing up. he's been with the same cast, it's family, since he was 8. he's 19 now. it's a long time now, he's found some religion and it interferes with what the dynamics of the show are. he's speaking out. should he do it? absolutely not. this is your employer. when you're making $300,000 an episode, two-year contract, 7.8 million, you may want to be a little nicer. and because of that, generally in contracts there are a couple of clauses important.

one a nondisparagement clause. it says you don't bite, as you said, the hand that feeds you. >> don't disparage me. >> about your employer. you are wonderful. >> don't say anything at all what our parents say. >> if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. you don't want viewers to have the show and evaluate it in a wrong or negative light. so it's an issue and it could potentially be a fireable offense. >> so now you're the producers of the show and you have this guy out there saying that your product is worthless or phfilth how he describes. do you force him to continue? do you cut ties? do they have a right to force him to work? >> i think so. forcing anyone to work, you can't, it's involuntary servitude. if i don't want to work, i watch tv, maybe "two and a half men," take it easy. >> not if you're him. >> as a result of that he's under contract, which requires him to work.

so what that -- what happens you give back money $7.8 million that you took and you therefore exit gracefully. what they can also do, as we saw with charlie sheen, he was killed off, right? in the last episode i guess or the new episode beginning in the season. he in this case, this particular actor, went to the army. so maybe a good segue for the show writers to lead them -- i'm writing for them. >> my question is, if they think he's really valuable and they have a contract, but they can't force him to work, they can thus force him to sit out and take no other work? >> because if you're undercontract the issue is that it has to be honored. as a result of that, you fulfill those obligations. and i think this would go to arbitration. probably an arbitration clause. what does it mean? it means neutral third party they evaluate what happens, you stay out of court, someone listens, they're not in a black robe, they're listening, and you see what happens. >> let's hope